The Ring of Power has been destroyed and Middle Earth has entered into the 4th Age. King Elessar and Queen Nauriel rule Gondor and for several years Middle Earth has been without conflict. But that time of peace has now come to an end.

Eagan had come the next morning with her breakfast and again with a snack between lunch and dinner. Both times he said very little and Narisa dosed most of the time anyway. Her infection had gotten worse but after two more days the wound cleansed and began to heal more properly. The next two days Eagan only came once and the third he had not come at all. Theodred, Eomer, Lindariel, Amathera, other friends and a few of the nobles that knew her family had all come to visit her. But Eagan had become...scarce.

Training with the Rohan soldiers had in part, taken away the sting in his heart. Somehow, one way or another, he had to allow himself to be able to back away from her. She needed a friend right now and he honestly doubted that he could be the sort she needed. With the rejection, with the hurt he felt, the grueling days he spent training had been a helpful distraction. That and he had needed to learn what Gondor could not offer. There were no better riders than those in Rohan...well, save for a few he had heard of in Gehenna, but his large red loved the exercise and he threw himself into the work completely.

The day had finally come for Elisa’s birthday. Theodred, with his mother’s help planned it and that morning he went and got her and brought her to the palace. There he showed her to her apartments, she had refused to stay in them until they were married, where she was inundated with tailors, seamstresses, leather workers and helpers who would use her body and her preferences to begin designing her a new, complete wardrobe. The angry, outraged look she had given Theodred had only made him laugh as he ‘locked’ the doors so she could not escape. At first she spoke to him through the door but after he warned her of stripping her down himself so they could take the measurements she decided to ‘acquiesce’ to his demands that she do this so that she would look the part she was to play.

Narisa was allowed to walk but not allowed to go outside. Her stitches were in places that strained easily and her should needed more time to heal. Her concussion to had been equally as severe. Loud noises gave her headaches and she forgot things sometimes but her and her family had been told that that would pass in a week or two. Twice now she had asked after Eagan and both times she had been told the same thing. ‘He was out of the city training’. Which he was but she knew full well it was all voluntary. Amathera hung out more though and this morning she had talked Narisa into playing a bit of cat's cradle with her. That and Amathera filled her in with all of the gossip that made its way to her ears.

With a thin finger she drew back the string from Narisa’s fingers then shifted it perpendicularly and stretched it out. “Well Thane has already moved on...he is courting Rolanda Malton now. I have it on good authority that she’s being pressed by her parents though,” she added in a conspiratorial tone. The trouble though was that Amathera still thought that there was something between her and Eagan. For as much time she spent gossiping and learning what there was to know about just about everybody she still believed Eagan and her were an item of sorts. The problem was that Eagan had not really dissuaded her. Most of that was that he had not really thought about her in that way but Narisa knew full well that he may very well change his mind if Amathera kept after him as she did.

“Oh and I saw Eagan yesterday, we talked a little when they all came to rest their horses,” she said excitedly. “He was filthy! But it was still grand to see him, he asked after you,” she said as she waited for narisa to take her turn. She studied the string obviously thinking about her next move.

The next few days were particularly difficult for Narisa. As the infection became worse she developed a fever and most food began to make her sick. However, after a few days the infection began to clear and her fever broke. She was then able to keep food down again and she slowly began to regain her lost strength. She became aware that Eagan slowly stopped coming to see her and in her heart she knew why. She had hoped that he wouldn't pull away completely, but it appeared he had. Many other people came to visit her, though, including her father who always brought her something sweet. With help she was finally able to get out of bed and walk around, though she was not allowed to go outside yet.

She was with Amathera, who informed her that Thane had already moved on. She could do nothing but sigh and roll her eyes at that. She knew then that she ultimately had been right about him. He had never loved her and had only been after a high ranking title. She was glad that she had discovered that sooner rather than later. She glanced at Amathera as they continued their game when she mentioned having seen Eagan yesterday. She could tell that Amathera still believed that there was something between him and herself. She took her turn, carefully moving the string.

"He did?" she asked when she told her that he had asked after her. "What did you tell him?"

Meanwhile, Elisa was not happy about the birthday present Theodred had arranged for her. An entire day trapped in a room being measured and picking out fabric and colors for dresses needed for every occasion one could possibly think of. It was mind numbing and she knew that Theodred was getting a grand kick out of knowing how miserable she was. However, she also knew that she needed to just get this over with. She knew when she agreed to marry him that this was something she was going to need to do. The queen was still pushing her to stop helping her father in his shop, but she didn't feel comfortable leaving him just yet. She knew that she didn't just help him, but she also provided some measure of company that he enjoyed having.

Finally, the seamstresses had everything they needed and they let her go. She walked out of the room and found Thedored and crossed her arms over her chest. "You had better have something else planned or else I'm not going to be happy and I will make sure to make you miserable on your birthday."

Theodred had loved every minute of this and he saw how angry she really was. He held up his hands as if defending himself though I took a moment to stifle his chuckles. He took hold of her shoulders and rubbed them as he looked into her eyes. “Aye, I do. We are having a quiet meal alone in the ballroom. Complete with music and dancing and your favorite foods. I have one more gift to give you but you will have to wait for that,” he said as he seductively shifted and drew his finger across her bottom lip. “I promise you will enjoy tonight,” he whispered in a tone he used when he thought of the moments they had been together.

Meanwhile Amathera blinked at the complex move Narisa made and wondered how she’d get out of that! “He heard you had an infection and wanted to know if you were better, eating, drinking and moving around,” she said as if it wasn’t of import. “He seemed worried about you...though I think we all were, I told him that you were on the mend,” she said but her face took on a disappointed look. “I...well I try to get him to, you know, lol at me or kiss me or..oe ‘something’ but he doesn't. Sometimes I think he wants to but something always holds him back...maybe he’s just, shy? Should I, you know, make the first move?” She asked in barely more than a whisper. Her cheeks flushed at the thought but her lips curled slightly into a smile as if she was thinking about it now.

Elisa's scowl slowly faded when she heard what else Theodred had planned for her. She actually smiled and even blushed a little when he made a rather seductive suggestion about that night as well.

"I don't have to wear a fancy dress, do I?"

Narisa could tell that Amathera had no idea that Eagan wanted to be with her. While she didn't want to force a relationship, she also wasn't sure how she felt about her friend going after him. She didn't want to upset her either.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she told her. "He really kinda likes to feel in control about those sorts of things."

Theodred smiled when she said that. ‘Well, if you don’t want my gift,” he said and shrugged then turned as if to walk away. She was going to have to understand who she was going to be and who he needed her to be. He knew it was alot of change in such a short time but he knew she could do it if she wanted to.

Amathera just seemed to pout at Narisa’s words. She expected as much. Eagan looked so proud and handsome...larger than life up on his horse. Even covered in dirt and dust as he was. She thought he was a beautiful man and her heart could barely stand it when he was near her. “Well...you’ve known him for a long time, could you...uh, help me? I mean...would can i do to win his heart Narisa?” She asked.

Elisa sighed and grabbed Theoded's arm so he couldn't walk away. She knew that in agreeing to marry him that things were going to change...many things. It was still difficult for her though.

"The only dress I have that's already made us the green one," she said after a moment, referring to the dress she had bought using all of her saved money.

Narisa looked at her friend and felt waves of guilt wash over her. She felt terrible, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth...not yet...not until she at least knew if she wanted a relationship with Eagan again.

"Ignore him...completely," she answered. "Don't talk to him or even look at him when he's around. That will drive him crazy and make him want you."

Theodred snickered at her and got a flicked ear and a warning look from Elisa that more was to come should he not change his tone for certain sure. He still smiled as he brought a hand up to his sore ear. “Ow! I suppose you have not yet looked into your closets? A few dresses were already made for you. Mistress Carlyle has a good eye for sizes. Perhaps if you bothered to look again…” He said as he trailed off. When she half turned toward her door she felt a sharp pain right on her left butt cheek. She didn’t yelp but her eyes grew very large and she looked back at Theodred. She had started it, he seemed to say with his eyes.

“Off with you then, and I wish my bride to be to be perfumed and pretty tonight, yes?” He said in an encouraging tone.

Amathera frowned at Narisa but she only shrugged. If that is what will work, she give it a go. She’d do anything short of letting him feel her up to get him to notice her. Unfortunately just thinking about him doing that made her blush though she tried to hide it from Narisa. She wouldn’t mind his hands on her. They weren’t to large and she knew them to be very strong. He was quite strong for his size. He was well built though of only slightly above average in height. She dreamed of laying with him and having him kiss her over and over. Her fantasies were fairly chaste but they bordered that line between decent and indecent sometimes. Her mother had had ‘the talk’ with her already but a man’s anatomy...down there, was completely unknown to her. She was certain she’d likely close her eyes the first time and even thinking that now made her cheeks hot. She needed to think about something else and shifted the strings just to accomplish that.

“We’re both running out of time,” she said as she nodded at the move she made. “Pretty soon, our parents will begin to accept men who wish to seek our hand in marriage. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have someone who I fancy instead of the other way around. You know what happened to Angela,” she said and then cringed. Her parents were of less nobility and not at all wealthy. Her parents made her marry a man twice her age. They instantly gained wealth but twice her age? It was unthinkable and she shuddered.

Alright Elisa thought to herself. You want your bride to be perfumed tonight then that's what you're going to get. She said nothing to him in response, but walked into the room that had been given to her in the palace. She had never actually slept there before, but had been encouraged to start staying in the palace more. She walked over to the closet and opened it and was surprised to find dresses already made. There was various colors and styles. Elisa decided to pick the most extravagant one. She bathed and then dressed and had the servants pull her hair up into an over the top hairdo. She then spritzed herself down with so much perfume that the servants had to take it away from her. She reeked and it was just what she wanted. She put on the most expensive jewelry she had been given and then took a look at herself in the mirror. She couldn't wait to see the look on Theodred's face. She actually wondered what he would say. He had asked for this after all. She grinned in delight and then waited for him to come to escort her to the ballroom.